Road to Queen
by PINK-night
Summary: Ato/Fem!Ryo: Like a true caterpillar going through metamorphosis, Echizen goes from being a skinny, little girl to a beautiful, rare woman. Atobe watches and tries to convince himself that there is no need to drool over the femme fatale. And fails.
1. Metamorphosis

AtoFem!Ryo Like a true caterpillar going through metamorphosis, Ryoka goes from being a skinny, little girl to a beautiful, rare woman. Atobe watches and tries to convince himself that there is no need to drool over the femme fatale. And fails.

**Road to Queen**  
**Chapter 1 : Metamorphosis**

Going into high school, Atobe didn't really see Echizen Ryoka often. There was no reason to, obviously, and even if the girl was a good tennis player, Atobe was in no way going to search for the skinny, little stick himself.

But that didn't mean he wasn't curious.

It was on a trip back to his old middle school to assess the growth of the club he had left behind in the hands of Hiyoshi that he brought up the subject of Echizen Ryoka around the new regulars. The reaction he received… was peculiar.

Seigaku had lost to Hyotei in that match (even though Ryoka played against Hiyoshi and won… again), so there shouldn't be a need to look away and shuffle awkwardly. When asked about it, Hiyoshi rubbed at his red cheeks and grumbled in an unsightly manner, "She's… just grown a bit…"

"Ahn?" Atobe drawled, still not comprehending why that was important. "Women do that, Hiyoshi. They all grow in the same places."

"No," Hiyoshi argued, trying to think of the right words to use in this situation. "It's not just about her growing up—well, I guess it is…" The young captain stammered helplessly for a bit, looking at his regular members for assistance, but they all looked equally troubled about this.

Finally, Hiyoshi just settled on, "It's something you can only understand once you see her."

Atobe was still not convinced, and honestly, he took Hiyoshi for an inexperienced, little virgin that was simply shocked at seeing the girl who defeated him grow breasts and hips as all females did. Therefore, he didn't think too much about it.

And his first year of high school passed. Hyotei Academy Tertiary Department won the nationals that year as Seigaku and Rikkaidai lacked in man-power (Kawamura had quit, the Golden Pair had split up as Oishi went to a public high school, Yanagi had also gone to another school, Yukimura was still going through physicals, and the former second and first-year members were still in middle school). Atobe knew that it was Hyotei's turn to rise and he fought to make it stay that way.

But by his second-year, Seigaku, Rikkaidai, and the other seeded schools got their act back together and the fight was won by Rikkaidai in the end. Seigaku was even able to fill up the holes left by Oishi and Kawamura with Momo and Kaidoh as well as some others.

And then Atobe's third-year came around and it was all dread and expectant faces around the club as the members talked about possible threats from other teams and it was always "Echizen Ryoka". Even Atobe shivered at the images his mind procured when trying to think of how strong she would be now after three years and how he would fare against her. The 12-year old girl in his mind always lost and it was almost a goal of his to make that picture become reality.

So when the first district match came and the whispers began to travel, Atobe refused to believe them.

"_Echizen Ryoka is not competing."_

_"She wasn't allowed to. The principal, the coach, _and _Tezuka argued against her admittance."_

"_It's a shame."_

It didn't make any sense to Atobe (and from his latest conversation with Sanada, Rikkaidai though it was ridiculous as well. Kirihara threw an open fit in the middle of practice and Yukimura was found skulking around with a frown on his face for days). He nearly drove over to Seigaku with the intention of shaking the dust from between Tezuka's ears, when Oshitari told him to do it over the court.

So he did. Atobe trained and his regulars trained, fighting their way through district matches to the Kantou Tournament where they were finally given the chance to meet Seigaku just like they had three years ago…

And with the low net between the two teams and Hyotei's eyes skimming the Seigaku regulars left and right, they noticed with a deepening feeling of shock and confusion.

"Where's Echizen?" Shishido asked in faint wonder. Fuji smiled at him, as if he was used to this question, and pointed towards the audience.

At once, Hyotei turned to where the finger indicated and the raked through the many faces until they came upon one.

It was Ootori who cracked first. "No way…"

"Oh, totally way," Momoshiro snickered, earning a dirty look from Kaidoh. The two had watched the little baby of their team grow into what she was today so they were quite used to her already. That honestly couldn't be said the same for anyone else though.

"You kiddin' me," Oshitari said in disbelief, eyes following Ryoka even as he and his team moved off the court. "The ugly ducklin' turned 'nto a swan."

And "turning into a swan" was exactly what Ryoka did. Like a budded, rare and exotic flower that finally bloomed, Ryoka went from a tiny, skinny girl with no outstanding features into a slender, yet curvy woman with a silky river of dark hair that curled down just below her nape. Her neck was long and her shoulders were gently curved and fragile-looking; her arms were still golden-tan and slim with hidden muscles underneath, but the hands connected to them were dainty with long fingers and well-kept nails, a woman's hands, yet the roughness made by tennis was also obvious. Her breasts were ample and her waist was small, but her body curved out into hips and traveled down to her long, shapely legs.

A beautiful girl. That was obvious with her long-lashed golden eyes, high cheekbones, and full lips, but it would be a lie to say that they had never seen a prettier girl. Atobe for one had seen more divas and foxes that were more voluptuous or beautiful that Ryoka lining up for a chance to date him…

But it wasn't her physical appearance that had men falling on their knees at the sight of her (although that was a big part). Just as Hiyoshi had stammered and fought for words to describe it, Atobe found himself at a loss of what to think of the sudden fast pace of his own heart.

Echizen just stood there, looking over at her past teammates with a pout, obviously wanting to play and feeling a bit dejected at being left out. Momoshiro went over to talk her out of it, smiling brightly as he did so and everyone watched as the frown transformed into a tiny smile and Atobe could swear that he saw a golden light come off her petite frame, as if her happiness was rolling off her in waves—

"That's it," Hiyoshi suddenly whispered, snapping his fingers in realization as he turned towards Ryoka with wide eyes. "Pheromones."

And a look of understanding dawned on Hyotei players' faces.

It was a soft pink air of hormone-inducing pheromones. Ryoka let them off like heavy, heady, yet delicious perfume and it was like an addictive drug to men—she was desired and dangerous.

The more innocent ones like Hiyoshi or Ootori couldn't stare at her too long and always looked away with wide eyes and a shameful flush, as if they did something they shouldn't have had.

Types like Tezuka or Inui tried to make it seem as if they weren't staring or interested but still couldn't keep the flush off their faces if she got too close with her feline smirk and tantalizing warmth (especially Tezuka, who Ryoka seemed to follow around like a duckling after its mother).

And there were those that were openly interested.

Atobe wasn't about to bother masking his interest in her as he sat in the spectator's benches and eyed her in though. Doubles 2 was beginning but Atobe wasn't even looking at the game.

He thought about approaching the girl, but he knew she wouldn't be happy with his sudden intrusion (more so, she might feign amnesia and ask stupid things like "Who are you again?"). Plus, his own pride as a man refused to let him _court_ a woman who obviously wasn't interested.

'_… but would it be worth it in the end?_'

Atobe liked fiery women, and her talent in tennis made her an even better prospect. And the idea of her attracting men left and right, yet the only one who could have her was him…

Concealing a shiver, Atobe took his eyes off Ryoka's slender silhouette and turned back towards the game. He probably shouldn't think on it. Echizen wasn't on Seigaku's tennis team anymore. She didn't matter.

But…

Out of the corner of his eyes, her dark hair drifted with the wind, and Atobe could almost _smell_ the power and spice from her. He tried to keep his eyes on the game, but it was almost as she was teasing him with just her presence. It was infuriating… and arousing.

And Seigaku pounded Doubles 2 into the dirt.

Wonderful.

Atobe sighed and watched with as Mukahi trudged back onto the benches with Taki in tow. As the captain, Atobe stood up and towered over the smaller teen, glaring at him with cold eyes as he demanded, "Where exactly were you looking at during the game?"

Mukahi made a slightly miffed face, angry at himself for losing and Atobe for rubbing it in, and he snapped, "At Echizen's _boobs_! Like everyone else here!"

Everyone gaped and Seigaku's heads turned towards Hyotei, each of their faces aghast at this loud declaration.

"Fu-un…" Ryoka hummed with a tiny smirk on her face. She looked down at her own chest thoughtfully. She didn't look especially offended nor glad, simply curious. Then after that moment, she looked up at Hyotei and scoffed. "You're still not good enough," she taunted, cocking her head to the side and releasing her pheromones full-power at that moment.

And at that second, everyone thought the same thing:

'_She's no longer the Princess of Tennis. She's the QUEEN.'_

She was dangerous, Atobe decided with narrowed eyes. It was now clear to him why Tezuka refused to let her on the boy's tennis team. There was no man in the world (unless he was very and truly not interested in women at all) that could play to the best of their abilities when a girl like that was around, and with Echizen's personality, she would create more enemies than allies that would be more than willing to hurt her (in unthinkable ways).

'_I will overcome her,_' the King declared to himself, straightening when she met his eyes and threw him a saucy smirk (that awoke every nerve in Atobe's body). '_I will not be tied down by human desires. I won't.'_

Not knowing of Atobe's mental oath, Ryoka tossed her head and ran a hand down the side of her body, following the distinct curve with her long fingers before pausing to pull her stockings further up her leg, showing teasing glimpses of lithe thighs from underneath her dark skirt.

And then suddenly, Atobe didn't know how to stop staring at Ryoka's legs.

_This… is going to be a challenge._

**tobecontinued**


	2. Blossom

I think I ABUSE parenthesis… (Does anyone have a problem with it though?)

**Road to Queen**  
Chapter 2 : Blossom

* * *

Atobe learned from his many experiences with the fairer sex, that he quickly lost interest in them once he figured out they were flawed in things he would rather they not be. It was after his regulars lost to Seigaku (Atobe planned on darkly mulling over this for days, making even _Oshitari_ avoid him), that he approached Ryoka (who didn't even look at him until he cleared his throat—obnoxiously at that). The girl was standing beside Momo with her hand on the hip, looking her usual sassy self… except sexy.

After some loud and obvious throat clearing from Atobe, Echizen finally looked up at him with an uninterested expression. "Can I help you?" she asked sarcastically. Atobe decided to ignore the tone of her voice and settled on answering back more politely (he was above insignificant arguments with those lesser than himself).

"It's a shame you aren't in the club, Echizen. I wonder how far your tennis has evolved."

Ryoka raised her eyebrows and looked at him with wide eyes as if asking '_Are you for real?'_ before telling him without any shame or hesitation, "Wouldn't it be better if you say that once your team _wins_ against us? You still have lots more to work on, don't you?"

Okay. The corners of Atobe's lips lifted into a forced smile and he reigned in the urge to (_wrap the girl up in his arms and kiss the cockiness out of her)_ do something drastic. Ryoka certainly grew up well, make no mistake of that. But in the end, Echizen Ryoka was still Echizen Ryoka (which meant she was irritating as hell and knew which places hurt the most).

"How about a game?" Atobe asked, completely pushing aside Ryoka's rude comment (and this made the girl frown).

"I don't know. I distinctly remember shaving your head because of our last match. You wanna go through that again?"

_Ah. So she does remember me_. For some wild reason (Atobe did not want to analyze _why_), this pleased Hyotei's captain, and he smirked down at the girl who watched him like a lounging cat (in heat). "_I_ distinctly remember a little known opinion about women and how they _naturally_ grow _weaker_ than men. Do you want to test out that theory, ahn?"

Ryoka took the bait easily, golden eyes flashing with challenge. She never planned on saying 'no', but now she had a reason to completely wipe the courts with this over-the-top peacock. "Fu-un. You're on, _Monkey King_."

"Hmph. This time, it'll _you_ who'll go home bald." '_And then I'll forget you. Just like that.'_

Or so he desperately, _desperately_ hoped.

* * *

Atobe had, at first, said it as a joke—a taunt. Most girls were considered weak because they _let_ themselves become that way, but Atobe thought Ryoka was above that. He thought she would train harder than anyone else so she wouldn't be left behind…

But there was no denying the lack of power behind Ryoka's balls. Her returns were less heavy and even though her techniques and skills were still top-notch, the lack of power behind them made all her attacks easier to return.

'_Is this your limit, Echizen?Is this as far as a woman like you can go?_'

Ryoka glared for the nth time as her racket flew out of her hand by a smash from Atobe, leaving her hand aching and trembling. She retrieved her racket from the ground and picked up the ball beside it, staring at it with a scowl.

Atobe watched as the girl took her spot at the end of the line and bounced the ball against the clay ground. The score was 5-2, Atobe lead and if Atobe took this point, it would be his win.

The ball was tossed into the air and Ryoka took stance, stretching her arms and lifting her racket over her head. She wasn't giving up. Atobe smirked at that resolve, feeling that this last point might be the hardest one to get and that excited him.

It was with a fighting yell, the twist serve came over the net and bounced up towards Atobe's face. Already having foreseen this move, Atobe jumped out of the ball's way and returned it with practiced ease, but Ryoka knew her twist serve would have no effect on the male. By the time Atobe had successfully returned the ball, Ryoka was already at the net and had her eyes on the empty corner of the opposite side of the court.

Atobe cursed and dashed to catch the ball but missed it by the last second. He panted heavily with a grin before he turned towards Ryoka who was wiping the sweat off her chin.

"You're still not good enough," she taunted with a smirk and Atobe laughed breathily.

'_Yes. This is the Echizen I know.'_

_

* * *

  
_

13-13.

They were on tie-break and it was _exhilarating_.

After a couple of ass-kickings, Atobe quickly learned that whatever he did before to overcome Ryoka with sheer force of strength was _not going to work_ (as the girl found weaknesses to attacks quicker than Jiroh woke up at the sound of "MARUI BUNTA").

Atobe thought his match against Tezuka was long, enduring, and furious, but this stalemate with Ryoka was quick, teasing, and exhilarating. It also made that feral part of his mind purr in satisfaction whenever he met eyes with Ryoka and they shared smirks.

"Hey," the girl called out, after scoring a point against Atobe. She pointed her racket at him and tossed her head in a cocky manner, lips curled in a challenging smile. "You're sweating quite a bit aren't you, Mister Monkey King? You feeling okay?"

Atobe chuckled breathlessly, and shot back, "You seem short of breath, Miss Short Stuff. It's all those useless, unsightly words you spout from that accursed mouth of your's."

"Fu-un…" With a dainty finger, Ryoka traced the pink curve of her lips slowly, as if she was glossing it. Atobe felt electricity run up his spine and he shivered.

"_Quick, teasing, and exhilarating"_

_

* * *

  
_

The game ended with a 17-15 score; Atobe's win.

Surprisingly, Echizen took her loss gracefully, walking up to the net and sticking her hand out. She was obviously unhappy with the results if the frown on her face was anything to go by, but she said nothing about it so Atobe took her hand in his (the pads were rough and the palms were soft and the skin was so warm) and shook it firmly.

They walked over to the bench with their belongings and paused for a few minutes to catch their breaths and stretch out their overworked muscles. There was only silence between the two before Ryoka stopped wiping the sweat off her face and looked up at Atobe with wide, accusing eyes. "Are you going to shave my head?"

Atobe snorted at the question but did ponder it for a moment. It would be a chance for revenge that was true, but there was something acutely different between a girl shaving a boy's head and a boy shaving a girl's head. One was funny, the other was just plain cruel.

"It'd a waste to cut off all that," Atobe answered, grabbing his extremely expensive, handmade lavender towel. "You finally look like a proper woman now that your hair is past your ears."

Ryoka scrunched up her nose, making her look adorably disgruntled. "When _you_ say it, it makes me feel like it would be better for me to just shave it off."

"What a rude brat you are."

The girl smirked as if she had just a received a compliment and pointed at Atobe's water bottle. "Can I have a sip? I forgot mine."

Inwardly, Atobe was completely against this. Not because he was afraid of whatever germs Ryoka might be harboring, but because the first thought that popped up into his mind at Ryoka's request were the words: "_Indirect Kiss_". However, his body seemed to have a mind of its own as his hand reached out, grabbed the bottle, and tossed it to Ryoka who caught it with a mumbled thank you.

And, despite his mind's screams of protest, Atobe silently watched as Ryoka tucked a lock of her dark hair behind her ears and tipped her head back, lips pressed against the mouth of the bottle. She drank the water slowly… seductively. A bead of the liquid escaped from the corner of her mouth and trailed down the soft edge of her jaw, following the line of her long neck, before it disappeared behind her white-red polo shirt, venturing areas Atobe felt like giving his soul to see.

'_Oh God._'

By the time Atobe realized where his train of thought was heading towards, Ryoka had quenched her thirst and pulled the bottle away from her lips with a satisfied sigh. "Sorry," she muttered, wiping off her mouth with the back of her hand. "I drank a lot."

She was answered by a purple towel to the face, making her drop the bottle in surprise and cry out as she stumbled backwards. Her back met the metal fence, steadying her, and she peeled the heavy cloth off with grit teeth and an annoyed scowl. "What the hell was that for?!" she shouted at—

Nothing. Ryoka frowned, eyeing the empty area that Atobe was standing at just seconds before. She turned around at the sound of footsteps and saw the teen running down the street before ducking away into an alley, disappearing from her line of sight.

What the hell.

"Was he that pissed that I drank all of his water?" Ryoka asked herself before rolling her eyes in exasperation. "Ugh. Drama queen."

* * *

_'You're losing yourself, Keigo',_ Atobe thought to himself as he fought to catch his breath. He had just run away from Echizen with his tail between his legs. Like a coward. _'She's making me into this_.'

He had heard of women who had the ability to bring even the proudest men to their knees with just their charms. But Atobe, despite the number of women he had dated and played with, never lost himself to a female. He never felt his body racked with insane urges to—

_I wanted to grab her by the hair and tear her shirt from her shoulder, wrench her head back and run my lips along that golden expanse of bare skin. I wanted to make her cry out my name and wrap her arms around my shoulder. I wanted to…_

"Shit," Atobe cursed and held his head in his hands, all his strength leaving him. He was falling, ever so quickly and he didn't want to.

He refused to.

* * *

Ever since she was "banned" from the boy's tennis team, Ryoka found herself with a lot of time on her hands.

She had initially tried out the girl's tennis team, and while some of the players were ecstatic at having her join, the rest of the members were less than pleased and Ryoka found herself as a victim of bullying.

Everyday her locker would be vandalized and broken into, leaving trash and scattered remains of her school uniform behind. Cruel words were continuously etched into the metal; big black words screaming "_SLUT", "GO DIE", "CRAZY BITCH"…_ Ryoka told herself more than once that it didn't hurt her. That they were all the lies of people who were jealous of her skill. And that thought made it easier to bear.

But the captain of the female team just couldn't take it anymore. "This sort of thing is bad for the morale of the team. I'm sorry, Echizen."

And for the second time in her life, Ryoka found herself being rejected by the sport she loved more than anything else. She had clenched her hands into tight fists and grit her teeth, feeling something heavy and painful well up in her chest. "Fine," she spat out at the third year, ignoring manners all-together. "But on one condition. I'll leave if you give me the chance to play a one-set match with every member on the team. If there is even _one _person here that can score a point off me, I'll leave without complaint."

"Echizen…" The captain looked pained. Like she didn't want to agree, but Ryoka's golden eyes pierced her sharply and she found herself unable to disagree or look away.

So the match, one against dozens, happened. And it was like disaster struck the court as every single girl fell to their knees, one-by-one, stricken and gasping for breath, their minds still reeling and demanding to know what just happened. _How did they lose so quickly_?!

But Ryoka was unfazed. Even as her last opponent, the captain, failed to score a single point against her, she looked on with a powerful gaze and steady stance.

"No one… scored even one point against me," Ryoka said simply, voice not giving away any emotion. The captain bowed her head and dug her fingers into the clay court. "Echizen…" she pleaded, "Please don't break this team any further."

"I won't," Ryoka promised, turning away from the net with heavy shoulders. "I'm leaving the team. I have no interest in weaklings." Her words were harsh and hateful, but she thought that it was an appropriate farewell.

No one tried to stop her, just like no one tried to stop her on the boy's team.

'_What's the point of tennis anymore_?' She had wondered this for many days and nights. Her hands had not held a racket for weeks after she left the girl's team. No one played seriously against her anymore, not even her own father.

Her life without tennis seemed lacking, but the monotonous everyday routine grew on her and soon, Ryoka found herself being interested in other things: she collected shoes and grew out her hair. These new things couldn't fill up the gap in her heart that tennis had made, but it gave her restless hands something to do, and for now, that was enough for her.

But… that man… _Atobe_.

He flushed all her hard work down into the drain with only a challenge and smirk. He reignited an old flame Ryoka thought had long died within her and she didn't regret it; not one bit.

And, as she idly ran her fingers down a soft, lavender towel, Ryoka realized she wanted more. She wanted more of that feeling: the excitement, the challenge…

So she found herself standing at the gate of Hyotei Tertiary Dept., whistling lowly as she scoped out the campus. It was certainly designed in a way that could only be called "gorgeous", if not a bit over the top. Ryoka couldn't decide whether she liked it or not.

She walked through the gate and looked around the area for a moment before finding a group of boys huddled together and looking at her with wide eyes and gaping mouths. She walked over to them with confident steps and entered the little group, making the boys spread out to create a respectable distant between them and her. Ryoka took no notice as she was used to this sort of reaction. "Hey. Where can I find the tennis courts?"

One of the braver teens answered her, straightening out his uniform and clearing his throat before doing so. "Ah, the courts are over the east side of campus. If… if you don't know where that is, I'll personally guide you—"

"No need," Ryoka cut him off and turned towards the direction the boy pointed at. She was sure if she just walked in a straight line she would find it eventually. She didn't want to have to use a complete stranger for more than what she needed.

(Meanwhile, the rejected boy stared after her as she walked away, feeling a dark gloom hanging over his head. His friends pat his back encouragingly. "Things like that happen."

"Yeah, she probably had a boyfriend anyway. Chin up, man."

"… Women are so mean sometimes.")

* * *

As expected, the tennis courts at Seishun High were nothing compared to the ones at Hyotei. Not only were they greater in number, but there was a large seating area for spectators and guests surrounding the court.

"So flashy," Ryoka mocked under her breath.

A voice from behind her scoffed and replied in a snooty tone, "I apologize for being better than worthless plebeians such as yourself."

Ryoka looked up at Atobe with a raised eyebrow. "What are you apologizing for?" she asked innocently. "I said that the school was better, not the people in it."

"Such a brat," Atobe sighed, shaking his head. He sat down next to Ryoka, but still kept a good distance between them. "What are you here for anyway?"

With a _hmph_, Ryoka offered Atobe his purple towel unenthusiastically. "You threw this in my face last time 'cause you were pissed," she said as Atobe plucked the towel out of her hand without so much as a thank you. She honestly wasn't expecting one, but it still annoyed her. "Also," she said after a thought, "here."

She tossed an unopened water bottle towards him and Atobe deftly snatched it out of the air. "What is this for?" he asked suspiciously, tilting the plastic bottle left and right.

"You were angry because I drank all your water before right? You big baby."

Although she had ended her sentence with an apathetic insult, Atobe didn't feel the usual irritation that he would. Instead his rounded eyes were staring intently at the bottle in his hand as if it held gold inside its cheap container. Then he chuckled lowly, covering his face with his hand to hide his smile from her. Ryoka bristled like a cat at the laughter and pinned him with an angry glare.

"Tch," she spat, unable to hide the embarrassed blush that was darkening her cheeks. "So stupid."

Once Atobe got himself under control, he turned back to Ryoka and inched closer to her with a handsome smirk. "My apologies," he said with an elegant flourish of his hand. "Is there anything I can do for m'lady?"

Although his tone was mocking, Ryoka took his words seriously. Her eyes glinted dangerously and she leaned into close, startling Atobe. "I want another match."

This surprised Atobe, but he wasn't particularly against it, "… right now?"

Ryoka shrugged. "Sure, why not?"

Atobe looked down at the courts with calculative eyes before he stood and motioned for Ryoka to follow him. The girl did so with an eager grin, ignoring the curious eyes of the males from below as she and Atobe entered the court.

"Are you going to play in that?" Atobe asked with a pinched expression as he handed Ryoka his extra racket. The girl took the racket and looked down at herself with raised eyebrows. Then she looked right back up at Atobe with a frown. "Is there something wrong with what I'm wearing?"

Dressed in her summer uniform consisting of a blouse, vest, short skirt, and thigh socks, Ryoka was dressed in a guy's dream uniform. The other males in the vicinity seemed to realize this as well as they all flushed a bright red at the fabricated image of Ryoka playing tennis in her current get up.

Then, without any warning at all, Ryoka lifted up her skirt. A tiny scream escaped from Atobe and many others at her action, but Ryoka didn't seem to take any mind to it as she showed the tight spandex shorts underneath her skirt. "I have something under here, so it's okay."

'_IT'S NOT OKAY_,' Atobe hollered in his mind and it took all he had to keep from crumbling on the spot. He honestly didn't know if he could hold out if Ryoka pulled another move like this.

* * *

"You honestly have to stop being such a failure," Atobe hissed spitefully. Ryoka pouted but said nothing as her eyes were glued to her shoes. Honestly, even Atobe didn't notice that she was wearing heels (he was too fixed on her skirt); even throughout the game, she was winning against him spectacularly before the spike of her right shoe decided to give out on her and break.

"I got these from Harajuku. They're really expensive. Brand name," Ryoka complained. She tried to stick the heel back onto the shoe, but it wasn't really doing anything. Atobe shifted his arms with a grunt. Echizen was heavier than she looked.

It seemed the hard fall had hurt her ankle. Atobe made it his responsibility to take the girl to the sick bay (as too many guys jumped at the chance—he didn't need his players making utter fools of themselves around the girl). Currently, she was riding on his back (after much arguing) and showing off her broken shoe to Atobe who was more interested in getting to the sick bay before his back gave out (because if he broke while carrying a _girl_ he would be the laughingstock of the entire school—or rather just the people who had the balls to laugh at him).

"I don't have any other red shoes. These are my favorite pair. Did you see the smash I did with these on? I probably looked like Sailor Moon, only much more badass."

It seemed that the ultimate destruction of her favorite pair of heels caused Ryoka's lips to loosen as she refused to shut up about them. For the first time in his life, Atobe cursed the long hallways of Hyotei.

"Anyway, even if I was wearing them, I was still winning. That kinda shows how _mada mada_ you are compared to me—"

"Look!" Atobe snapped, unable to handle anymore shoe-talk. "If I promise to buy you a new pair, will you shut up until we get to the nurse's office?"

Ryoka paused, tilting her head to the side with what appeared to be thoughtful expression, but that façade was broken when her lips stretched into a dark leer. "I thought you'd never ask," she said simply, making Atobe falter for a moment.

"… wait. Don't tell me you…"

With a pleased hum, Ryoka pat Atobe's shoulders lightly. "I was honestly running out of things to say. I was beginning to think that you liked hearing me talk about how I thrashed you on the court in a pair of high-heels."

"You planned this, you insufferable brat?!" Atobe demanded, looking over his shoulder with a disbelieving glare. Ryoka shrugged, smirking playfully at Atobe's obvious distress.

"Anyway. Don't forget about your promise."

Atobe couldn't believe himself. He was duped so easily by a girl who had injured herself with her shoe, and he couldn't decide whether he was angry… or impressed.

The walk over to the sick bay was easier as Ryoka had kept her promise and was silent for the entire ride (Atobe thought she had used up her word quota for the day). The nurse had bustled over to the two when they entered and immediately set to work on looking over Ryoka's ankle once Atobe set her down on one of the empty beds.

"It's a grade 1 sprained ankle," the nurse said confidently as she pushed Ryoka down onto the bed and lifted her leg up onto a cushion. "You'll probably have to see a doctor, young lady."

Ryoka booted that idea with a scoff. "No thank you. It'll heal by itself if I leave it be, right?"

The nurse furrowed her brows disapprovingly and was about to tell the girl off but Atobe beat her to it as he towered over her with a menacing aura. "Are you being serious, Echizen? You should know better than the rest of us what will happen to your ankle if you don't get it looked at properly. Take Tezuka's example you idiot. Your tennis will be hindered."

Normally, just that would be enough to convince Ryoka back in middle school: Tennis and Tezuka. But this Ryoka that was looking up at him from the bed was unfazed. "It doesn't matter anymore," she said seriously, her sharp gaze unwavering. "Tennis… is boring now. The only opponent that is worth my time… is you."

Her old regular friends, the ones that she had trusted and _loved_ even… they turned away from her, just like her father who stopped answering her challenges long ago. ("_Ryoka. You've overcome all obstacles in your way, even ones that would stop normal young women in their tracks. You've come so far, and I'm proud as your father. … but… I think, you've crossed too many opponents in your path.")_

"No one takes me seriously anymore, y'know. No one but you."

("_You can't play tennis without hurting in your heart, right?")_

Ryoka closed her eyes as her father's solemn words rang in her mind like the old temple bells at her home.

It was true. Ever since Tezuka had told her that she was not allowed on the boy's team, everything went downhill from there. She played against many people even after she left the boy's team, but… their purposely weak swings, their hesitant steps… it hurt her pride more than any loss she could ever hope to suffer.

The only one who freed her from that pain was…

"Just you."

Atobe felt his face heat up at her confession; it filled him with a strange sort of pride. He reached out and grabbed Ryoka's hand, squeezing her fingers with a firm grip.

"Then just play against me forever if you have to!" he declared, uncaring of how it sounded to anyone else. Ryoka's eyes snapped open in shock and she stared at him with an affected face. Her golden eyes glistened like something precious and priceless before she regained herself and smirked casually. "Is that a proposal?" she teased lightly, not meaning any harm by it.

Atobe ignored the way his heart skipped at her words and straightened, not releasing her hand. "See it any way you want. You're going to the doctor's."

Ryoka looked at their entwined fingers and nodded, strangely obedient. "Okay," she whispered, and tightened the hold they had on one another. "Just don't forget your promise, Monkey King."

It was an ambiguous and delicate start, but they could both see something change in their relationship.

Much like a shy bud that was beginning to blossom.

**Tobecontinued**

Sorry that took so long. But it's the content that counts, right? ... right??


	3. Change

Time goes by so fast.

**Road to Queen**  
Chapter 3: Change

* * *

Before he was Keigo, rich and handsome diva extraordinaire…

He was a man.

Back in middle school, a silly little whelp like Echizen Ryoka hardly deserved a second glance if you ignored her tennis skills. She was always your average tomboy with short hair and awful fashion sense, always wearing loose shirts and shorts.

Although Atobe had no idea what happened in the two years that he didn't see her, the change in the girl was drastic. Traumatic even.

"Did you wait long?"

"15 minutes. How dare you make me wait on you for 15 minutes! Where in the world were you?"

Ryoka raised an eyebrow at the tone Atobe took. She did not approve of it. "Hmph. Womanly problems," she said smoothly, not at all embarrassed.

"… womanly problems." Atobe repeated, having a hard time believing it. Although there was no reason not to. Echizen did grow up into a fine woman. Her hair was longer and was artfully flicked and pulled. She was wearing cream colored baby-doll dress under a short-sleeved coffee cardigan, and each step she took was echoed with a click by the ankle-high brown boots she wore (Atobe was surprised to see that it was a brand-name item).

The girl nodded, her expression bland as she told him matter-of-factly, "There was pregnant lady who needed to be taken to the hospital—"

"Save it," Atobe interjected, rolling his eyes. He stood up and brushed his designer jeans off as Ryoka pouted. Chic or not, Echizen was still Echizen.

Even if she was still giving off heavy, heady pheromones and her rosy lips curled into a sultry smirk or the fact that her eyelashes seemed to flutter against her cheeks with every blink—

Atobe shook his head, trying to escape these thoughts.

Why wasn't he used to her already? He saw Tezuka not even flinching whenever she grabbed his hand; why couldn't he do the same?

As if reading his thoughts, Ryoka grabbed him by the sleeve and began to pull him along as she walked confidently, a clear destination in mind. Atobe felt his stomach flip as if someone just punched him in the gut and his heart rate kicked like he ran a marathon. He face was hot and he felt like a kid again.

So he wrenched himself out of Ryoka's grasp. The girl gave him a glance but otherwise did nothing and kept walking. Now he just felt pathetic, getting embarrassed because a girl touched him. Good going Keigo.

And there was also that creeping feeling that resembled _disappointment_ when she didn't reach out for him again (but he was sure he would have reacted in the same manner if she did try).

But it was the first time Echizen willingly touched him.

There was no doubt that the two had grown closer after their little bout in which Ryoka injured herself. After the girl had fully healed, the two met up often to play tennis together, and sometimes, when a game ended early, the two, in unspoken agreement, went to the nearest convenience store together for a bar of ice cream (the loser paid). They always walked a fair distance away from one another, and all the words they shared were taunting and smug.

Atobe didn't know why he was going out of his way to spend extra time with this girl (because he swore that he wouldn't be infatuated with her! He just refused!), but whenever she looked at him through her dark lashes with those bright, challenging eyes… he found that it was impossible to say "No".

So here he was, in a shoe store, waiting with his arms crossed against his chest as Echizen lazily strolled through the many aisles and looked at all the displays with a careful eye. She handed Atobe her boots as she got ready to try a pair of strappy heels on. With a grimace, Atobe took the proffered pair of shoes and watched with an expressionless face as Ryoka slipped her feet into the shoes and walked around, testing them out. She then looked at Atobe who raised an eyebrow at her look.

With a sigh, Ryoka pulled the shoe off and put it back.

'_I didn't say anything!'_ Atobe argued silently as the girl went further down the aisle and plucked another pair from the line.

The kitten heels she tried on were akin to the pair she broke in her match against Atobe. It was a vibrant scarlet color and seemed to go well with Ryoka's (not-too-pleasant) personality. She looked up at Atobe again who stiffened this time and wondered what it was that she wanted.

After a moment of silent staring, Ryoka kicked the heels off her feet and made a face at the male before stalking down the aisle again. Atobe ignored the discarded pair and languidly followed the girl, wondering what she was waiting for.

But this trend continued on for a bit, with Ryoka trying on a pair of chic heels, looking at Atobe who said and did nothing, and Ryoka tossing the shoes away without a word and moving onto the next pair. It wasn't until Ryoka had successfully walked down all the aisles with the fancy-prancy shoes that she gave Atobe a somewhat frustrated look and headed towards—

Tennis shoes. Row after row of new and lovely tennis shoes.

Ryoka grabbed a pair of white and red pumas, testing its weight and soles before she put them on her feet. Atobe grunted when the girl thrust her bag into his arms and watched as she jumped up and down and did a series of quick side steps in her dress (and Atobe refused to think that it was amazingly _hot_).

After she satisfied herself with the small checkup, she turned to Atobe with a sultry smile, one that made the teen's very soul tremble. Atobe turned away and cleared his throat. "They'll be useful. For tennis," he said lamely.

But his reply seemed to satisfy Ryoka who carefully pulled the shoes off. "Should've known," she said with an amused click of her tongue. She retrieved all her belongings from Atobe and replaced them with the trainers in her hand. "I'll buy these then."

Atobe scoffed and raised an eyebrow. "Are you possibly buying these just because I have made a comment about them? My, my. If I didn't know you any better Echizen, I would say that you were seeking my _approval_."

He felt smug about it and half-expected Ryoka to deny such a claim vigorously, but he blinked in surprise when the girl turned to him with a serious look on her face. "If I was the one buying then, I wouldn't give a crap what you thought. But you're paying, so I figured I might as well make sure you were somewhat satisfied with your purchase," she said rather haughtily, but Atobe was too shocked (and perhaps a little bit touched) to care for her disrespectful tone.

"You…" he started, but found himself lost for words, "… brat."

Ryoka smirked in return and walked ahead of him towards the register.

In return for the shoes, Ryoka graciously offered to get them some crepes from a side-cart (Atobe agreed, but he knew that the only reason Echizen had even offered in the first place was because she didn't want Atobe to use the shoes against her in the future).

He waited for her, watching from a distance as she dug her wallet out from bag (her drawstring duffel could hardly be called a "purse") and paid the stall-keeper. She held a crepe in both hands and seemed to be struggle with making sure none of the strawberries fell out of the dessert for a second before she settled and began walking back towards Atobe with slow and purposeful steps—

She didn't get very far.

Atobe straightened at once when a group of boys, college students from the looks of them, approached the girl with leers and offensive cat-calls. Ryoka raised an eyebrow and stood her ground confidently, not even withering when an uninvited hand reached out to touch her lower back. She dodged the hand and sent a glare up at the offender who hooted at her fire.

Having seen enough and feeling enough heat between his eyes to make his head _explode, _Atobe quickly (but gracefully) made his way over to the group and stood behind Ryoka just in time to catch another wandering hand, giving it a meaningful, joint-cracking squeeze.

"Was my lady friend bothering you gentlemen, _ahn_?"

Ryoka looked up at him with a disgruntled expression but said nothing otherwise.

The group looked at Atobe (and his sportsman stature as well as his full height of 6'2") then exchanged glances amongst themselves before deciding that one girl was just not worth it. They left with dirty glares and lots of dissatisfied spitting all around.

After they were out of his line of sight, Atobe redirected his frown to Ryoka whose mood seemed to have brightened a bit and was smirking. She clucked her tongue and simply said, "They're still not good enough." She passed him his crepe and turned on her heel, walking off.

They went home, and it was only later, long after they had grunted their goodbyes and the sun went down that Atobe steadily realized that he had been _angry_. Honestly, sincerely, and quite generously so.

And… he was (Atobe scrunched up his face like he swallowed an avocado pit whole) jealous.

Insanely jealous. Of plebeians who had nothing better to do than to harass what was _his_.

Alone in his room with no one else to witness the shock that flashed through his wide eyes and his sudden intake of breath, Atobe laid a shaky, clammy hand over his face and let the realization of his thoughts and emotions set in fully.

He considered Ryoka to be his. Echizen Ryoka whom he swore was nothing more than a rival and perhaps a _friend_; a little chit that simply grew up better than normal women. He was _attracted _to her. Physically, mentally… emotionally.

And it scared him.

* * *

The last thing Atobe was known as was a "coward". He met challenges straight on and dished them out eagerly; he never backed down from anything and if met with a wall he would scale it using his hands, his feet, and his money.

But this was different. This wasn't tennis or school or just some cocky punk looking for a fight.

Atobe stiffened as his phone rang again. He lost track of the many times it sounded. Sometimes it was from his schoolmates, other times it was from his parents…

But once or twice it was Echizen Ryoka.

Her messages were always short and concise. Only asking if they were meeting for a game tomorrow, but Atobe ignored them. He ignored his phone entirely and had left it in his room that morning before school. It was a foreign concept to him… not taking his phone with him everywhere he went. But it took a few ounces of burden off his shoulder for a short amount of time.

His friends all noticed. Oshitari gave him strange looks and had asked questions, but realized Atobe wouldn't answer him straight-forwardly so he shut up and settled on sneaking narrow-eyed glances at him every now and then.

He was okay with that. Honestly, he was.

But when he got home and entered his room, the first thing he saw were Ryoka's broken heels that laid in the corner of his room (he was meaning to give those back but never got the chance to) and the reminder of her was like a kneedrop on his heart.

He thought of her. Her face, her presence, her smirks, her taunts… just her.

It was driving him insane.

* * *

Ryoka was slowly going mad.

The day after their "date", Ryoka had wanted to play a game of tennis. She didn't think it was too soon. What was wrong with wanting to play tennis with a guy she had seen just yesterday? Was that weird?

But her call didn't go through. At that time she didn't think too much of it (even if Atobe had a strange habit of having his phone glued to his hands at all times, except when playing tennis) and she left a short message asking him to call back.

The son of a bitch never did.

She mailed him the day after, feeling a bit irritated now, but she still tried.

Two weeks passed by without any message from Atobe, and Ryoka realized long ago that she was being ignored. Honestly, she forgot what that felt like until now—and it wasn't a nice feeling.

She tried to tell herself that she didn't need him to go on. She had done just fine without him before and she could go back to that life. She could.

But game-after-game against boys that didn't seem all too into tennis against her was beginning to tick her off. Slow steps, weak hits, piteous and apologetic glances. What affected her most were their nonchalant shrugs at her win, as if they had _let_ her.

It sunk in slowly, but in the end she did realize: Atobe was all she had, and he was leaving her.

* * *

But it seemed fate had different plans.

Atobe stared as Ryoka turned to him. He watched as she froze and her mouth parted in surprise. And he found himself unable to move.

They had met by pure coincidence at the street courts. Atobe had come with Kabaji to torture a few unfortunate souls in his bad mood. After he had let off steam (but the crease between his brows was still present), he had meant to leave for home…

But he was caught by the ever-familiar heart-pounding pink scent of pheromones and something in him swelled up with a comforting warmth and he stopped in his tracks only to see Echizen before him. A beautiful sight for his tired eyes.

He hated it. He hated how he missed her so much.

Ryoka seemed to be lost for words for a moment. Her lips flapping silently before she regained herself and a dark look passed over her eyes.

"Atobe."

He winced at her cold tone. Somehow, at that moment, he would have preferred her to call him by that degrading nickname. But instead of replying, the teen huffed and turned away, his entire body stiff with reluctance and guilt. He had meant to walk away without turning back, but he heard Ryoka shift, plant her feet firmly on the ground, and call out to him in a snide tone, "Hey. Where you running to? How 'bout a match, Atobe."

Looking over his shoulder at the girl, Atobe responded lowly, "It's Atobe-_san_ you little brat. I haven't any time to play around with _little girls_ either, so you should just look the other way, Echizen."

He saw it. He saw the way her mouth curled in contempt and how her eyes lit up in anger, and it made his stomach fall to his feet.

"What." She spat, voice tight with emotion. "Are you scared to lose? We are at a stand-still aren't we? How about we end it here, once and for all?"

He wanted to say no, that he had no reason to play against her and she was an idiot for thinking that she would be able to make him.

But Atobe pinched his lips and turned around to face her fully, looking down at her from his height, but the difference between their stature went unnoticed by either of them. Atobe realized that Ryoka was not just a woman to be defeated…

She was more than that.

He was in love with her and if playing a single set of tennis with her was what she wanted… Atobe would give her just that.

"Kabaji. Fetch my racket."

"Usu."

And a slow smirk spread across Ryoka's face.

This "last" match was akin to their other matches, but also different in the almost desperate quality that was in the serves, the returns, the smashes, everything. It was as if neither player wanted it to end, yet they wanted to come out victorious.

By the time the score reached 3-3, an audience had gathered around the court. Boys from all over Tokyo were crowding around, watching the match between a boy and girl half his size go on. They were both skilled, enviously so, and it was the first time in a very long while that Ryoka was realized and recognized not for her looks or anything like that…

She was respected because of her skills.

'_Just like she should be,'_ Atobe thought as the ball flew past his racket by mere centimeters.

"_Mada mada dane_," Ryoka drawled, eyes lit up by a familiar flame.

"Brat."

"Monkey King." Ryoka smiled and Atobe's heart melted.

* * *

"I missed this."

"What, being pushed around and grabbed at by strangers, ahn?"

Ryoka sent the boy beside her a flat look. Atobe didn't see it as he was busy drying the sweat from his neck, but he felt his skin prickle from her gaze.

The pair sat under the shade of a tree near the courts. They had just managed to shake off the enthusiastic viewers who had all but fallen to their knees for a game with either of them. Atobe had grabbed Ryoka by the shoulder and squeezed the two of them through the excited throng of people. He left Kabaji back there to take care of anyone who tried to follow them. It had worked all too well.

"I wish I had a zipper for that self-loving mouth of your's," Ryoka huffed, fixing her hat to shade her eyes from the sunlight. Atobe forced down his chuckle and stood up. He brushed his pants off and looked down at Ryoka from over his shoulder with a gentle look. "Right back at you, brat."

For a long moment, Ryoka seemed transfixed by him, staring at him with wide eyes, but she came out of this trance when Atobe turned away and began to walk off. Ryoka quickly got up to her feet and threw herself in his way, making Atobe stop in his steps.

"You were ignoring my calls," she said simply, but her tone managed to get under Atobe's skin whose pride made him snarl in return. "Are you questioning me, Echizen?"

Ryoka's eyes flashed. "You're not denying it."

Then she pressed in close to him and Atobe felt shivers rack his body and he forced his limbs to stiffen in order to keep himself from wrapping the girl up in his arms. But Ryoka saw this reaction and she gave a dark sneer, "What? Do I disgust you or something?" Atobe said nothing and looked straight ahead, completely missing Ryoka's hurt look.

"Why aren't you looking at me, A-to-be?" Her words were condescending and snarky, but her voice was shaky and unsure. She was confused; she had trusted Atobe to an extent. Afterall, the boy had promised to be her rival forever (when everyone else had failed her), but he then just tossed her aside without so much as by-your-leave (just like the others…).

She wanted a reason, but he wasn't even talking to her. "… is it because I'm a girl?" she asked tightly, her eyes wet with emotion. "Because I suddenly have _boobs_? Are you going to change on me like everyone else did?"

And that was the heart of everything. To Ryoka, the change in her body was natural and gradual. She honestly didn't even realize how easily she attracted male attention. To her, it was the boys that she grew up with and became friends with that suddenly changed on her; she was the only one who stayed the same while everyone else became _different_.

And it was unfair.

And just as she was about to lose all hope, Atobe came into her life, unchanging and as haughty as ever. With each meeting and words shared, Ryoka saw him as a sort of pillar in her life.

'_And now even Monkey King is changing on me. He's going to look at me differently and treat me weirdly. Like everyone else_.'

Atobe looked down just in time to see Ryoka wiping at her eyes with the back of her hand; she sniffed lightly and darkly muttered something under her breath. And it was like his conscience punched him in the gut and Atobe really felt like he deserved it. He cursed himself at that moment as he watched Ryoka dry her eyes. How stupid he had been to almost let this girl get away like that. His pride, his beliefs… they didn't matter anymore. He loved Echizen Ryoka, everyone else be damned.

At that moment, nothing would have been able to stop his arms from lifting up and wrapping around Ryoka. The girl gasped in surprise when she felt herself pressing against a strong, lean body and her senses were overfilled with the spicy scent of cologne. Atobe's hold was loose, but Ryoka couldn't pull away.

"I'm giving you a chance to run away, Echizen," Atobe said, his voice deep and Ryoka felt it rumbling from his body. She paused and thought about his words, her current situation, and the last month together with Atobe before, slowly, she wrapped her own arms around Atobe's waist and leaned into his warmth. Atobe closed his eyes and pressed his lips to stop the relieved smile from breaking across his face. He leaned down to press his nose into her hair; it was her sweet and addictive pheromones that made his body taut with desire, but it was something else that made him feel giddy with love.

"We're… hugging," Ryoka said unsurely, but her hold around him held strong. "Why?"

Atobe said nothing for a bit, relishing the way the curves of Ryoka's body felt almost right against him. "Because I'm going to change on you too," he answered, tightening his hold on her now. He couldn't let her go; he _refused_ to let her go. "I tried not to, but you kept looking at me with those eyes and saying things with that cheeky mouth. I kept digging and digging my own grave and I was afraid to lose control around you. My pride and policy towards women made me wary and I didn't want to get attracted to you, but I lost myself before I realized. It's your _damn_ fault. Take responsibility."

Ryoka rolled her eyes but she couldn't fight down the blush that reddened her face. Atobe looked down at her and caught the color on her cheeks as well as her embarrassed frown. His heart tightened at the sight of them.

"You still have lots more to work on," she murmured softly, tilting her head up towards him. Atobe gave her a wry smirk and ran his thumb over her bottom lip, making them part with a breathless sigh before he leaned down and covered it with his smile.

'_Perhaps, falling so hard for a single girl is not such a bad idea. Especially if it feels like this_.'

He pulled away and looked down at her awestruck face with satisfaction and not a small amount of pride. "I hope you know that this doesn't mean we're dating. One of us will have to ask the other out first. And it certainly won't be me, I'll tell you that right now."

Ryoka raised an eyebrow, looking amused. "… fu-un. Well won't this be a problem? Because I have no intention of doing so either." And she pulled him down with a steamy smirk. Atobe, after a moment, figured that it wouldn't hurt to be the one to ask a girl out once in a while.

* * *

A few months later of their push-and-push relationship, Atobe found himself sitting on a bench near a tennis court, watching Ryoka play a game. Without him.

The girl had her usual collected smirk on her face as she returned the ball over the net with a quick Drive B. Her opponent, Kirihara cursed and glared.

But Atobe could spot the tiny little blush on his face and he felt nothing but deep contempt for the seaweed-head. Ryoka, seeming to sense his bad mood, looked his way and threw a playful wink, making Atobe heat up from his toes to the roots of his hair.

How could dating a girl make him feel like the king of the world?

"Hey! Could you stop flirting and play seriously?" Kirihara shouted at the two, waving his racket in their direction.

Ryoka rolled her eyes and gave a jaunty shrug. "Maybe if you weren't so _mada mada_ I wouldn't have to hold back so much," she drawled in reply, making Kirihara spit vile, unrecognizable words in return.

Atobe shook his head, his lips curling up. Ryoka was the same as always and the eyes of men followed her unconsciously. It couldn't be helped; she exuded an aura, a pheromone of a commanding, beautiful queen. She was dangerous and teasing and _undeniable_.

And she was his. Atobe had nothing to worry about.

* * *

**End**

I purposefully left the winner of the last match unannounced. You guys can choose who you like better I guess, but only I'll know the truth. (tee hee)

I honestly meant for this story to last a few more chapters, but it ends here. Sorry folks. :I

Hope you enjoyed Road to Queen! My next Prince of Tennis work is a Yuuta/Fem!Ryo called "Chalkboard Umbrella"! Make sure you come and check it out! (Hopefully first chapter will be posted within the first week of August but idk)


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